Car-coupling



(No Model.) I v I. E. MARSHALL.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 442,814. Patented Dec. 16. 1890.

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UNIT D STATES Arum Prion.

IANTHUS E. MARSHALL, OF MARTINEZ, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO PATRICKTORMEY, OF PINOLE, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,814, dated December16, 1890.

Application filed August 18, 1890- Serial No. 362,334. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IANTHUS E. MARSHALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Martinez, in the county of Contra Costa and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway-Car-Ooupling Attachments; and I do hereby declare the followingto be afull, clear, and exact description of said invention, such aswill e11- able others skilledin the art to which it most nearlyappertains to make, use, and practice the same.

My invention has relation to certain new and usefulimprovements inrailway-car-coupling attachments; and it consists of the parts anddetails of construction, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth inthe drawings, and described and pointed out in the specification.

The object of my invention consists in providing for the mechanicallocking and unlocking of the cars without the requirement of thebrakeman going therebetween for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling.

My invention further consists in providing suitable means for raisingand retaining the coupling-pin in its raised position untilautomatically released by the coupling-link during the coupling of thecars.

The invention further consists in providing mechanism whereby thecoupling-link may be mechanically raised and guided in line of couplingwith the opposite coupling-head; and my invention further consists inprovid ing suitable attachment whereby the loss of lives or limb of theoperators may be provided against, which shall be simpler inconstruction, more effective in its operation, and less expensive thanany device of a similar nature heretofore known to me.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, whereinsimilar letters of reference are used to denote corresponding partsthroughout the entire specification and several views, Figure 1 is anend view showing my improved mechanism for raisin gt-he coupling-link;Fig. 2, a similar view showing the coupling-pin raised so as topermitinsertion of the link within the coupling-head; Fig. 3, a 1011-gitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 4 a bottom plan,of the coupling-head,for the purpose of more fully illustrating the movable retainingshoeplate' The letter A is used to indicate the ordinary link-coupling headattached to the car in any suitable manner. Located within the rearportion of the coupling-head opening a.

is the spring ct, which surrounds the rod B, Y

provided with the downwardly-extending lug Z), adapted to projectthrough and work within the bottom opening Z) of the coupling-head. Theprojecting end of said downwardly-extending lug is connected to themovable shoeplate B secured to the bottom of the coupler, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The forward end of said shoe-plate isadapted to cover the openings 0, formed in the coupler-head, for thepurpose hereinafter fully set forth.

\Vithin the opening 0 works the couplingpin 0, which is raised so as touncouple the cars or place the same in position forcouplin g by means ofthe lever O, which is attached to the endof the car by means of earse,'and connected to the coupling-pin through the medium of chain c. Theouter end of said lever extends or projects beyond the side of the carand terminates in the form of a handle, whereby the same is operated,thereby obviating the necessity of going between the cars forthe'purpose of coupling or uncoupling. Secured to the coupling-pin arethe forwardly-extending arms E, which fit Within and work through theopenings 0 and rest upon the shoe-plate B, which is connected thereto,as above described. When the plate has moved a distance sufficient touncover the openings 0, the pin-supporting arms are released from theirseat and by gravity fall until the coupling-pin has descended its fulllength, when the pin is securely locked. Owing to the springactuated rodB being held to the rear of the coupling-pin itis impossible for thesliding shoe to move forward until said pin is raised its full length orheight, which it is through the medium of the operating-lever C. It willthus be observed that the free movement of the coupling-link is in noway retarded. The forwardly-extending pin-supporting arms may be formedintegral or separate from the coupling-pin, as practice may demonstrateadvisable, and instead of working through openings 0, may work throughears secured to the side of the coupling-head. (Not shown.) As thecouplingpin is raised, so as to uncouple, the pressure of the spring ctforces the rod B forward, which movement carries therewith the slidingfoot-piece B until openings 0 are completely closed. When once thecoupling-pin is raised, so as to clear contact with the spring-actuatedrod, it is impossible either by the motion of the car or sudden jar tocause the dropping thereof until the spring-actuated rod is forcedbackward and opening 0 uncovered.

In Fig. 1 Ihavenot shown thelifting mechanism, while in Fig.2 the sameis shown connected to the coupling-pin.

In order to mechanically hold the link in line of center with thecoupler-opening of the opposite head, and at the same time provideagainst the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars whilecoupling the same together, I secure to the car in any suitable mannerbelow the coupling-head the operating-lever F, the outer end of whichextends or projects beyond the side of the car and is turned so as toform a handle similar to lever C. In Fig. 1 of the drawings I have shownthe lever suspended in hangers f. Upon said lever I secure the collarsf, and between the collars and inner face of hangers f I secure thesprings fiwhich allow of the lever having lateral movementin eitherdirection. Depending from and rigidly secured to the lever is the rod F,and within the lower end thereof I pivotally secure the weight F Theupper end of said weight is shaped so as to enable of the same fittingwithin the open loop of the couplinglink. Owing to the enlarged lowerend there of it is obvious that as the lever F is turned so as to throwthe depending rod upward the gravity thereof will maintain the same in aperpendicular position. The upward throw of said depending rod causesthe upper reduced end of the pivotal weight to fit within the opening ofthe link and lift the same to such an incline as may be required inorder to permit of the same entering the opposite coupling-head opening.Upon releasing the pressure upon the operating-lever said pivotal weightwill fall by gravity, carrying therewith the rod F and causing the leverF to assume its normal position. In case the link hangs at an incline toeither side of the center line I am enabled, through the springs mountedthereon, to shift the lever correspondingly, so as to cause the pivotalweight thereof to engage with the link when thrown upward. When thepressure thereon is removed, the gravity of the weight and pressure ofthe springs will force the lever to its proper posi tion.

I am aware that minor changes may be made in the arrangement of partsand details of construction herein shown and described withoutnecessitating or creating a departure from the nature and scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with a car-coupling head,of the spring-actuated rodsecured within the same, movable shoe-plate suitably connected to thespring-actuated rod, couplingpin provided with forwardly-extendingsupporting-arms, and the mechanism for raising said pin, substantiallyas set forth and described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the coupler-head, of thespring-actuated rod located therein, movable shoe-plate connectedthereto and adapted to move therewith, and the coupling-pin adapted tobe automatically released upon the movement of the movable shoe-plate,substantially as set forth and described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the coupling-link thereof, ofthe operatinglever suitably secured to the car, downwardlyextending rodsecured thereto, and an operating-weight pivotally secured to the rod,said weight being adapted with the movement of the lever to contact withand raise the coupling-link sufficiently high as topermit entrance intothe opposite coupling-head, substantially as set forth and described.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a coupling-link, of anoperating-lever journaled inhangers depending from the car, springs uponsaid lever interposed between the hangers and nuts or collars, a rodextendin g downwardly from the lever, and an operating-weight pivotallysecured to the rod, said weight adapted with the movement of the leverto contact with and raise the couplinglink suificiently high as topermit entrance into the opposite coupling-head, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IANTHUS E. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

H. J. LANG, GEO. T. KNOX.

ITO

